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what-to-expect-during-tooth-extractions

What to Expect During Tooth Extractions

Tooth extractions are dental procedures that involve forcefully pulling out a tooth from the jawbone. The root is removed right from the roots so that no layer of it remains in your mouth. The procedures are only performed on a need basis to improve overall oral health.

Why Do You Need Your Tooth Extracted?

Since the primary goal of dentistry is to preserve natural teeth, it is not every day that your dentist will recommend removing your natural teeth. When this happens, then it is because of any one of the following reasons:

  1. Severe tooth decay – is the most common reason why people get their teeth removed by dentists near them. When a tooth is severely decayed, the infection thereof damages the different layers of teeth. This means that even the internal parts of your teeth, as well as the roots, have suffered the infection. Such a tooth must be extracted to salvage the health of the rest of your oral cavity.
  2. Teeth affected by periodontitis – it is a condition that infects the gums and the bone tissue of the oral cavity. When these features of your mouth are infected, they compromise the stability of teeth. If teeth do not begin falling off on their own, they will be too loose that the dentist will recommend removing them.
  3. Impacted teeth – it is when teeth do not grow as they should. Technically, part of the impacted tooth remains stuck under the gum tissue. This causes pain when you chew on that area and can also cause orthodontic challenges. It is very common with wisdom teeth, which are the last set of teeth to erupt in an adult’s mouth.

Is Tooth Extraction Painful?

The process of tooth extraction is not one that many people enjoy. Many people have dental phobias that come up with the anticipation of a painful procedure. In the past, dental extractions were considered a very painful procedure. Forcefully pulling out a tooth from its roots definitely causes pain. However, with modern dentistry, a lot has changed. The performance of dental extractions is only done with the involvement of pain and anxiety medication. Usually, local anesthesia is used to numb your mouth in preparation for the treatment. However, for some tooth extraction procedures, other sedation methods are employed to help you remain calm during your procedure.

Common Risks During Tooth Removal

Tooth extraction risks are to be expected, as is the case with many other dental procedures. One of the challenges to expect is that some teeth may be too stubborn to be extracted through the typical tooth extraction process. In that case, a dentist has to perform a minor surgery that will completely remove your tooth. This is a very common approach when it comes to impacted and problematic wisdom teeth removal.

  1. Bleeding that lasts longer than 12 hours – after your treatment, it should not take the whole day before the bleeding stops. The body naturally forms a blood clot on the extraction site, which stops the bleeding. Prolonged bleeding is, therefore, a sign that something is wrong at the extraction site.
  2. Significant swelling at the extraction site – some degree of swelling is expected after your treatment. However, the dentist will prescribe medication to help manage the swelling. If the swelling and redness do not go down after a day or so, contact your dentist.
  3. Pain that lasts over a week – in just a few days after your procedure, your mouth should have fully recovered. It is expected to experience soreness at the extraction site, which wears off after a few days. However, some patients can still experience pain a long time after their procedure. This is a problem that necessitates immediate dental attention.
  4. Infected wound – the extraction site needs some time to heal completely. However, in the course of healing, there is the possibility of getting the wound infected. When this happens you must talk to your dentist immediately to curb the infection before it causes several other oral problems.
  5. Damaged oral appliances – for some patients, after a tooth extraction, they acquire some oral appliances to replace the missing tooth. The dental devices can be a dental bridge or denture. If you notice a problem with the device on your mouth, call your dentist. This applies to broken or chipped dentures or even detached and broken dental bridges.
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